OUR STORY
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A simple act of compassion set in motion a national movement to end family homelessness.
OUR MISSION
Family Promise of Colorado Springs mobilizes our community by advocating for and empowering vulnerable families with children to achieve housing stability.
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Family Promise realizes its mission by providing families with children experiencing homelessness shelter and meals utilizing existing community resources, and building upon those basic needs through offerings of intensive case management and comprehensive wrap-around services.
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Family Promise's primary goal is to empower families with children to permanently transition into independent affordable housing; secondary goals include meeting families housing needs in the most cost-effective manner possible and providing congregations with an opportunity to put their faith into action.
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At the core of what we do is developing partnerships within the community, to help address family homelessness within our city.
OUR HISTORY
"WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT FAMILY PROMISE IS THAT WE KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER."
-KAREN OLSEN, FAMILY PROMISE FOUNDER
OUR HISTORY
Family Promise of Colorado Springs was incorporated in 1996 as Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) of Colorado Springs, which remains its legal corporate name. IHN adopted the Family Promise of Colorado Springs Trade Name in 2014. Family Promise of Colorado Springs was founded as the grassroots initiative of local community activists alarmed by the rise of homelessness in the Pikes Peak region.
One of 200+ affiliated agencies across the nation responding to the nation's homelessness crisis, Family Promise of Colorado Springs is an affiliate member of Family Promise, Inc. established in New Jersey in 1986. Family Promise of Colorado Springs is governed by a local board of directors under an independent 501(c)(3) designation and relies on the support of the local community to offer its innovative programs and services. Family Promise of Colorado Springs’ original network of seven participating congregations has grown to more than 30.
In 2020, we opened our New Promise Family Shelter, which is a low-barrier shelter to meet the need in the Colorado Springs community to help the most vulnerable children and families experiencing homelessness. That 24/7 static site shelter closed in July, 2022, due to funding falloff and the impact of COVID. Throughout our journey, we opened our Heart in Home program to provide assistance to families experiencing housing instability. This provided rental assistance and avoidance of evictions. It also allowed for rapid rehousing of families experiencing homelessness to avoid the trauma and difficulties families face when displaced. All of our programs are paired with individualized case management to break the cycle of homelessness and help families achieve housing stability! We’ve only recently, in April, 2023, reopened the IHN and Heart and Home programs to help housing displaced families.